The Best Sacrifice
by celticreeder
Summary: After the war with Voldemort Hermione is believed to be dead. So what happens when Severus finds her in Muggle London?
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, they all belong to J.K. Rowling. 

THE BEST SACRIFICE   
**PART ONE**

The battle between good and evil, light and dark, Harry Potter and Voldemort lasted for nearly two years. There were numerous casualties on both sides but in the end, Harry Potter, the "Boy Who Lived" won. However, he didn't do it alone. Oh, no, Harry Potter had had a lot of help, so much help in fact that he had lost one of his closet and dearest friends. Hermione Granger, Gryffindor 'Know-it all' had been lost and her body had never been found. It was a moment in time when Professor Severus Snape would never forget. 

The battle had finally reached its climax. Everyone on the scorched and bloody field knew it. The air buzzed with the amount of magic being used. Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout, Harry Potter, the entire Weasley family, including Percy, Remus Lupin, Aurors Tonks, Shaklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Hermione Granger, surprisingly Draco Malfoy and of course Severus Snape had all been fighting madly against the raging Death Eaters that had seemed unending in their pursuit. Harry Potter was surrounded by the members of the Order of Phoenix and his best friends. Apart from Harry, Severus and Draco had been shielded as well due to their being related to the Death Eaters in some form: Severus having been a former Death Eater and now a traitor and a spy for the Order and Draco's father being a Death Eater who had been unsuccessful in turning Draco to the Dark Lord's side. 

This was the first time the members of the Order had actually gotten close to Lord Voldemort to fight him. He had usually sent out his Death Eaters to do the fighting but now it seemed he was ready to end the war once and for all. It wasn't hard to find the Dark Lord as he was standing on top of a large hill while the storm caused by the magic raged about him. It was rather dramatic and appropriate for the setting, Severus had noted as the members of the Order began to form their formation to protect Harry. It was very difficult to get through the Death Eaters who began firing curses as soon as the Order was within sight. Everyone save for Harry began returning the curses with as much vigor as they could despite being so tired. Most of them hadn't slept in days and what little they had gotten were only a couple of hours at most. Severus had smirked humorlessly when he had overheard Miss Granger muttering how she thought that this must be what it felt like during the Muggle wars. 

Severus had watched out for her as best he could while attempting to keep himself from being killed. He had seen numerous students and fellow Order members fall over the last couple of years and to loose Miss Granger would be a blow that he had felt would be too hard for him to handle. She was a constant in his life that he had come to depend on to keep him sane. She wasn't part of the Order yet but when the war had officially started, she and her friends had begun working side by side with the Order members and thus Severus had spent more time with her than he had ever spent with her during the years she had been his student. And she was still technically his student, as she and her friends had not graduated yet when the war started. So, when Harry Potter had finally reached Lord Voldemort and began to duel with him, it had scared Severus to distraction when Harry had stumbled and nearly fell only to be held up by Hermione's magic. 

Hermione had begun sending her magic to Harry when it looked as if he was losing his own fast. Lord Voldemort had not been fighting for as long as everyone else and so he was still well stocked in magic and thus stronger than Harry from the beginning of the duel. Severus had tried to fight his way over to Hermione's side but had been waylaid by Death Eaters out for revenge against the traitor. For nearly four hours the battle raged on and all throughout it Hermione had constantly fed Harry her magic, stopping only when she had to blast an enemy away. The air began to feel different right before Lord Voldemort had screamed in pain as he was fatally hit. 

As Severus spun around to see what was happening, it was as if he was watching everything in slow motion. Harry had shot the spell from his wand, the _Avada Kadavra_ a brilliant shade of green. It crashed and melded with that of Lord Voldemort's yet it was apparent that Harry's was stronger and thus it over powered Voldemort's and sent both spells back to the dark wizard. Voldemort had been surrounded by the green light for a moment before he exploded. Harry stumbled and fell to his knees, exhausted. A bright surge of power spread out over the entire field from where Lord Voldemort had stood. The screams of the Death Eaters could be heard and even Severus was forced to kneel in agony as his left arm throbbed as though it was being speared with a red hot poker while at the same time being pulled from its socket. He had managed to look up just in time to see Hermione start to collapse in a faint before another bright flash of light lit up the field, blinding all who stood there. The pain in his arm vanished as quickly as it had started and Severus passed out from exhaustion and relief. The war was over and the Order of Phoenix, the light, had won. However, the nagging thought that he needed to go see about Miss Granger had flitted through his mind briefly before all went dark.

* * *

He had awoken in a white room that smelled of disinfectants and other medical potions. He had stared at the ceiling for a long while before a nurse came in. Upon seeing he was awake the nurse had hurried over towards him and smiled. 

"So, you are awake, Professor Snape. Good. Professor Dumbledore will be pleased to hear it." 

Severus hadn't recognized the woman and thus had deducted that he was in St. Mungos instead of at Hogwarts. 

"What…"he stopped as his dry throat gave out and he was forced to cough. 

"You're at St. Mungos and have been out of it for ten days. You have been severely drained of magic and exhausted. You also had serious burns on your left arm but apart from a light scarring, it's as good as new. Professor Dumbledore woke yesterday and has been asking about you. I shall inform him that you are awake. Is there anything I can get you?" 

Severus had been tempted to ask about Miss Granger but instead had requested a drink of water. Once he had had his fill of the water he had closed his eyes and fallen asleep again. 

When he woke several hours later, Professor Dumbledore was sitting in a large armchair next to the bed reading the _Daily Prophet_. A slight frown graced the old wizard's face and he had shaken his head with a sad sigh. 

"So many lost, Severus," he said folding the paper. 

"Have the Death Eaters been captured?" Severus had whispered since he didn't think his voice was strong enough yet to speak at his normal level. Too many curses and hexes had been shouted for too long. 

"It seems as though they have been. They Ministry will begin issuing the Dementor's Kiss next week. They aren't taking any chances this time." 

"I should be in Azkaban with them. After all, I too am a Death Eater. I participated in the revels as much as the rest of them." Despite the whisper, the self-loathing was evident in Severus' voice. 

"The Ministry knows what you did. But they also know that if anyone else had been in your position they too would have had to participate in those atrocious acts. You have no more right be at Azkaban as I do since I knew what you were doing and I practically told you to do them as much as Tom did," Dumbledore had said, the twinkle missing from his blue eyes. 

Severus had remained silent for a moment, staring at the ceiling. Finally he had spoken again. "How are the others?" 

"Ah, Mr. Potter has regained consciousness and the Weasleys are all accounted for with a few minor injuries. Most of the Order members are still alive and kicking, though Remus is currently out frolicking in the Forbidden Forest. Young Mr. Malfoy is up and about; it seems he's rather taken with young Miss Weasley." A loud shout and the sound of something metal being thrown had been heard down the hall followed by a shriek of surprise from a woman. "Ah, it seems Minerva is feeling better. Anyway, I believe that answers you question?" 

Severus had looked at Albus with a blank expression. He had not told Severus about Hermione. And Severus could see that Albus knew it. "What about Miss Granger?" 

"Hmm? Oh, Miss Granger?" Albus had frowned as if in thought but a soft growl from Severus had made him speak again. "We don't know. Her body was not found and her wand was splintered. All attempts at tracing her whereabouts have been fruitless. I'm afraid she is one more casualty." Albus' eyes had shimmered with tears. Severus had felt his chest constrict and breathing had become difficult. A burning sensation had filled his eyes and he knew was close to crying. Albus had seemed to sense the impact his news had left on Severus and so he had left quietly; leaving the Potions Master to grieve in his own way. 

And Severus had turned over and buried his face in the pillow in order to muffle his sobs. For the first time in his adult life, Severus Snape cried.

* * *

Severus sighed as he looked at the picture in his hands. He was back at Hogwarts and teaching the students that had survived the war as well as the new ones. Harry, Ron, Draco and Ginny were back and despite the fact that they had missed two years of school, they had started right back up where they had left off. They didn't seem to mind being the oldest of their grades by two years though, and Severus was thankful that that made them much more mature than the typical 5th and 6th year students. However, it wasn't the same without Miss Granger walking the halls alongside them. No one knew he still hadn't gotten over her death. Even Dumbledore believed Severus had stopped grieving and was back to his usual bad tempered, bastardly self. But the picture of Miss Granger sleeping on the couch in Number 12 Gimmauld Place proved otherwise. 

He had been the one to take the picture. It had been during one of the brief times when the fighting was on hold. The members of the Order had returned to Gimmauld Place in order to set up a new strategy as well as catch up on some much needed rest. Hermione had gone into the library to do some research for Professor McGonagall and instead had fallen asleep on the couch. Severus had gone into the library a couple of hours later in hopes of finding a certain potions book that the Black family had been in possession of and had come across Hermione sound asleep, curled up like a small kitten in the corner of the couch. At the time, Severus didn't know why he had _Accioed_ his camera but now he knew it was because he had been developing feelings for Hermione. Working so close with her had made him see her as an intelligent woman and not a silly little Gryffindor Know-it-all that he had been convinced she would always be. He had thankfully been able to hide his growing tender feelings for the woman and he believed that that had helped him stay alive for much longer than anticipated. So, it was with a strange warmth in his stomach and a slightly fluttering heart that he had raised the camera and captured the peaceful moment on film. It became a picture that kept him sane and gave him a reason, a reminder, for why he had been fighting. 

Now as he looked at it, a soft smile tugged at his thin lips. She hadn't woken up, even after the flash of the camera and that had been the only thing that had saved him from having to explain why he was taking pictures of her sleeping. With a sigh, Severus put the picture back in his pocket and returned to the grueling task of grading 4th year essays for his Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Double Potions class. 

He was half way through one detailed though not well written essay when he threw his quill down with a growl. He couldn't concentrate! He kept seeing her hand raising and waving frantically in the air when she knew the answer to a question. He recalled only once ever calling on her and she had answered immediately before even realizing that he had actually called on her. The surprised look on her face had been something he had treasured and had even managed to sketch it out. Hermione was actually the only person who knew he sketched and that was only because she had stumbled upon one of his illustrations when he had asked her to look through some papers on his desk in order to find a specific recipe. One of his sketches had been left on the desk under a pile of essays and Hermione had held it up with a look of awe. It was a sketch of her and Draco working on a potion in class. Both were glaring at each other, not realizing that they were about to put in the wrong ingredients. Thankfully, Hermione had caught the mistake in time but the looks on their faces as they had argued silently had been one that Severus couldn't resist capturing. He would have passed the sketch off as being someone else's, one that he had confiscated during the lesson, but his spidery, yet elegant, signature down in the corner had proved that lie just that, a lie. Severus had actually allowed her to keep the sketch and last he had heard she had had it framed. 

Now, he just had to get away from the classroom. There were too many memories of her there. Rising from his desk, he strode to the coat rack standing in the corner and grabbed his teaching robes. He then made his way to his quarters to change. 

As he stood staring blankly into his wardrobe he tried to think what to wear. He could just wear his normal black robes but then that would mean he would have to go to Hogsmeade and that place held too many memories of Hermione as well. He knew he had to get off the Hogwarts grounds but if Hogsmeade was out then that meant going into Muggle London. Well, London certainly wouldn't hold too many memories of her, he was sure of that. So, his mind made up, Severus reached into the wardrobe and pulled out one of the three Muggle outfits he owned. A pair of charcoal, pressed slacks, a black turtleneck and a long wool coat that went down to the middle of his shins. He tied his black shoes on and then turned to asses him self in the mirror. Not bad, if he did say so himself. He picked up his hair brush and quickly ran it through his hair, the magic in him causing the hair to crackle and stand on end just a bit. He scowled at that and quickly tied it back at his neck. One last look in the mirror told him that that would have to do. So, grabbing his black scarf with the Slytherin emblem on one end, a gift from Hermione that she had personally knitted, and a handful of Muggle money, he left his rooms. 

A short while later he found himself walking rather casually along a busy street in London, gazing at the items in the store windows. He paused outside an old, used and rare books bookstore before going in. He had been here on a couple of occasions in the past and was quite pleased with their selection of muggle literature and even a few chemistry books. 

The store was warm and peacefully quiet as he wandered slowly up and down the isles. One book caught his attention and he pulled it down to look at. He heard the soft chime of the bell that hung above the door announcing someone else had entered the store. Severus calculated that that made, including himself and the shopkeeper, six people. He could hear the soft murmur of the newest customer and the shopkeeper talking and he concluded that the new person was a young woman. He let the soft music coming from the speakers drown them out and returned to reading the back of the book in his hand. 

"That's a wonderful book, Professor. I, at times, could see the story of _The Scarlet Pimpernel_ paralleling your life." 

Severus knew that voice. His head snapped up and around with such a force that he stumbled backwards. Her hands reached out and grabbed his arms to keep him from crashing into the bookshelf behind him. 

"Miss Granger!" he gasped his voice strangely hoarse and choked sounding. 

She smiled softly at him and nodded. "Yes, that's me. You must not have been expecting to see me here." 

"I wasn't expecting to see you at all." Severus swallowed several times and closed his eyes briefly to get his bearings back together. "Where the hell have you been? You have not finished your magical education. Therefore, you should not be out and about like this. Just because you were allowed to use magic in the war does not mean you are a qualified witch. Why have you not returned to Hogwarts?" Severus knew he was not speaking rationally but the shock at seeing her alive and well was not sitting well in his system at the moment. 

Her smile faded and she looked away. "I'm afraid I won't be returning. I can't." 

"Of course, how could I forget? You're wand was broken during the war so of course you won't have been able to get to Diagon Alley to purchase a new one. Well, if you are free this afternoon, then I shall take you to _Ollivander's_ so that you may…" Severus turned to put the book he had been holding back on the shelf but Hermione's hand on his arm stopped him mid-action and mid-sentence. 

"No, Professor, you don't understand. I can not return to the Wizarding world." 

Severus stared at her for a long, silent moment. "Explain." 

"I…It's a long story to tell, Professor and this is not the place to tell it." 

"I have the time to listen. Is there some place we can go to talk?" 

"Yes. If…if you wish to make any purchases then I'll let you do so now and wait for you outside." Hermione shifted her purse on her shoulder. 

"I don't believe I shall purchase anything today. Come, tell me where we are going and we can Apparate there." Severus took her arm and escorted her out of the shop. 

"Um, that's not possible. I don't have an Apparation license," Hermione said with a soft blush. "Anyway, I thought maybe we could go to my flat or we could go get something to eat if you prefer?" 

"Is your flat far?" Severus asked looking at her. 

"No, it's just a couple of blocks away on Kensington Street." 

"Then I would prefer to go there. I am not in the mood to having a bunch of people crowded around me while we have our conversation. You… uh don't live with any one do you?" He shot her a sharp, almost a panicked look. 

"No, I live alone." Hermione had a small, almost shy smile upon her lips. Severus felt himself relax upon hearing that. 

He let her lead him along the busy streets until they came to a building that was obviously the location of Hermione's flat. She shot him a small look before pulling a key out of her pocket and led him inside. 

"It's not much, but its home for me now and it's close to the University," she explained as she led him up a couple flights of stairs to the fourth, and top, floor. 

"There are no magical universities, Miss Granger and until you finish your Wizarding education you can not get a job in the Wizarding world," Severus said as if that was obvious. 

"I know, but I'm going to a local Muggle university. Look, just come inside and I'll explain everything as best I can," Hermione pleaded. 

Severus pressed his lips together and after a second gave a curt nod. He stepped into the flat when Hermione held the door open for him and he found himself in a sparsely furnished though still warmly inviting room. There was a small fireplace in one wall with a doorway off to the right of it and Severus could see a bed and dresser in there indicating it must be Hermione's bedroom. He felt an overwhelming desire to go in there and look around but he held himself in check. Across from the fireplace there was another doorway that led into what appeared to be a small kitchenette. There was also another door that was in the wall connected to the bedroom wall that was obviously a study/library for there were several bookshelves lining the walls and a small roll top desk sat in one of the corners. 

Severus stepped further into the main room and looked around. There was a tall armoire in the far right corner that held what he recognized as a television. A window was to the left of the armoire. There was a small four person table in the far left hand corner that was obviously Hermione's kitchen table. There was a large, comfortable looking couch facing the fireplace with an armchair on either side facing each other. A low coffee table was situated in front of all three pieces. A warm coiled rag rug was laid out in front of the fireplace. Several pictures were upon the mantle, all Severus noted, non-magical. He was surprised to see the sketch he had let her have hanging above the fireplace along with several other sketches from various other artists that Severus didn't recognize and assumed must be muggle. 

"Would you mind getting a fire started while I get us some tea and something to eat?" 

Severus looked at her for a moment before nodding and striding towards the fireplace. Hermione gave him a smile and went into the kitchen. Severus stared at the fireplace and at the logs of wood stacked off to the side. He shot a quick glance towards the kitchen where he could hear Hermione moving about, humming softly to her self. He decided to try the Muggle way. Putting his wand back up his sleeve, he knelt down and piled three logs into the fireplace. Then he rose and looked around for the matches. He found the case sitting off to the side of the mantle. Pulling one out, he struck it, with minimal problems, and was able to light the fire. Several minutes later there was a nice roaring fire crackling cheerfully in the fireplace. Severus smiled to himself, quite pleased with his accomplishment and the smile on Hermione's face when she entered with tea and a couple sandwiches and small tea cakes on a tray made the task even more gratifying. 

"Now, I believe you were planning on telling me why you can not return to Hogwarts," Severus said sipping his tea. He closed his eyes in delight; it was perfect. 

Hermione shifted nervously next to him and stared into her tea for a moment. 

"Could…could you tell me what happened before Harry defeated Lord Voldemort? He…he did defeat him didn't he, that's why you're trying to get me to go back right?" 

"Indeed, Miss Granger. I highly doubt I would be doing so otherwise. Had the Dark Lord won, I sincerely doubt I would be here speaking with you much less trying to convince you to return. However, since you asked, what I remember is that you were giving Harry Potter some of you magic and that helped lead to the Dark Lord's downfall. I'm afraid I was busy trying to keep my head attached to my shoulders to take in all of what was completely going on around me." 

"All of my magic, Professor." Her voice was soft, nearly a whisper. 

"Pardon?" 

"I wasn't giving Harry some of my magic. I was giving him all of it. I knew Harry wouldn't have been able to defeat Voldemort alone. He was too drained of his own magic and Voldemort wasn't. So I began to give my magic to Harry. If he needed all of it, then he could have all of it. It was so strange," her voice took on a distant, reflective quality. "It felt like an electric current was traveling through my body and out in a rush and then, suddenly, it was as if a giant ball of something, a part of me, was ripped out forcefully and I had this feeling of emptiness before everything went dark. I woke up in my bedroom at my parents' house. They said I was lying unconscious and in terrible shape out in the front yard. I really believed that the whole fact that I was a witch was just a dream, but seeing you here has proved me otherwise. I can not return to Hogwarts or to the magical world because I have no more magic. I don't know if I would call myself a Squib or if I would say I am now just a Muggle. But either way, I am no longer a witch." 

Severus sat staring at her in shocked silence. How could she have done that? How could she have allowed that damn Potter to take all of her magic? Surly he had had enough magic in him to finish the Dark Lord off without having to drain Hermione of her powers? Of course, this did explain why tracking charms hadn't worked. They had all been trying to track her based on her magic but since she didn't have any anymore there wasn't any to track. 

"Have you no way of contacting someone from the magical world? Surely you could have sent an owl or used the Floo?" He said softly, disbelief in his words. 

Hermione shook her head. "My parents aren't connected to the Floo. They haven't been since the war officially started, it was too risky. I don't have an owl and there's no easy way of getting a hold of one when I'm not in the magical world." 

"Then surly Potter should have tried sending you a letter!" His voice began to sound panicked and he wasn't quite sure why. 

"Based on your reaction in the bookstore, Professor, Harry, as I'm sure most of the Wizarding world does, believes I'm dead. You didn't even hide your surprise, and dare I say horror, at seeing me alive. I certainly would have acted the same way you had if I had discovered that someone I had previously thought was dead was actually alive and well. Harry would have had no reason to send me a letter." 

"Professor Dumbledore sent your parents a letter informing them of your death! Surely they would have told him otherwise." 

"He did? I wasn't aware of that." Hermione's eyes narrowed and she looked away. She obviously wasn't pleased with her parents at the moment since they had obviously kept that fact from her. "They always did want me to return to the non-magical world. Especially once they learned about the war." 

Severus watched her silently. He felt a surge of anger at Mr. and Mrs. Granger. They had deliberately not told Hermione that her friends believed she was dead when they knew perfectly well that she was alive. They hadn't even bothered to inform Professor Dumbledore that Hermione was alive. Did they really hate the fact that she was a witch that much? 

"I will look for a way to retrieve your magic, Miss Granger. Professor Dumbledore and…" he was cut off by her raised hand. 

"No, Professor. Thank you but no, I am not going to be returning to the magical world. I don't doubt that there is a way to retrieve lost magic but I gave mine up willingly to help a war. That was my sacrifice and I will not let it have been used in vain. But, um, please inform my friends and the Professors that I am alive and well." 

"But…" 

"No! I am perfectly happy the way I am now. Should I return to the magical world it will be only for a visit and accompanied by Harry or Ron or one of the others. I am Muggle now, Professor. Please, leave it at that." Her tone was final. 

Severus looked away with a frown. He felt like pouting, throwing a tantrum, anything to get her to retrieve her magic and return with him to Hogwarts. He knew it was selfish of him but he wanted her to be near him. He shifted his gaze back to her. She was sitting quietly sipping her tea and looking into the fire. She looked so beautiful with the warm glow of the fire shining off her face and reflecting in her hair. He knew what he was going to do was the epitome of selfishness but at the moment he didn't care. He would not tell anyone he had found her alive and magic less. He would keep her to himself this way and should he ever deem it the right time to inform the others, he would. 

"Are you doing anything tomorrow evening?" he asked softly, gripping the tea cup tightly in his hand nervously. 

She shot him a surprised look before grinning softly. "No, why? Planning on kidnapping me and dragging me back to Hogwarts?" 

"Don't think I'm not tempted. But no, I was actually wondering if you would…that is to say…would you like to join me for dinner? We could…ah, catch up so to speak. I want to know what you have been doing that has caused you to wish to stay here in the Muggle world rather than return to Hogwarts." He forced his grip to loosen on the tea cup before he broke it and further embarrassed himself. 

Hermione studied him for a moment, as if searching for something. She must not have found it for she lowered eyes that held a touch of disappointment in their depths and Severus wondered about it "I would enjoy having dinner with you, Professor. You can tell me what has happened these past few months." 

Severus gave a curt nod, finished his tea and rose. "Then I will take my leave. I would suggest you wear something nice, but not formal. You may be a former student but that doesn't mean I must spend a fortune on a rather casual dinner." He had hoped to sound almost playful but instead his tone had taken a stiff, formal and almost cold color. He internally winced at it. This was not the way to start a hopeful relationship with her. He saw her back stiffen. 

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to put you out in the streets because I forced you to spend your life savings on a dinner! Maybe it would just be better if we skipped the dinner altogether and I just sent you a letter informing you what I've been doing. If you would be so kind as to send me an owl, I will write off a letter for you." 

He found himself fascinated by the way her cinnamon colored eyes flashed in her anger. "That will not be necessary, Miss Granger. I will be here at seven to personally take you to dinner. I have just now found you; I will not be deterred in my efforts to keep you found." 

He watched as she gritted her teeth and curled her hands into tight balls as though to keep them from reaching out and strangling him. He smirked at how he was able to rile her up with just a few words and a specific tone. Suddenly, her expression changed and she smiled. 

"I'm glad to see you have not let the war affect you too much, Professor. It's nice to know that some things won't change. I will be ready to go at seven." 

Severus gapped at her for several moments. She hadn't been serious in her anger? Was he really losing his touch? Was he that easy to read? To manipulate? However, he closed his mouth and brushed imaginary lint off his sleeves with a casual, almost bored air. 

"Well, then I shall leave you now and return tomorrow. Until then, Miss Granger." He gave a small bow, took his coat off the coat rack and left.

* * *

A/N: Well, this is my second Harry Potter story, well actually it's my first but I waited to post it since I didn't know if I wanted to post it in sections or as one really _really_ long one shot. I hope you enjoy it. Celticreeder. 


	2. Part Two

A/N: I'm so happy this story is being well recieved. I know there is a little bit of confusion as to why Hermione seems to have given up her magical life so easily. I'd like to think I explain it better in this section. If there are still questions, let me know and I'd be happy to answer them. I hate thinking that my readers are confused for that's the sign of a bad story. Anyway, enjoy this section! Oh, and none of these characters belong to me, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Celticreeder. 

The Best Sacrifice   
**PART TWO**

Morning came quickly for Severus and he found himself buzzing with energy. He had returned the evening before with a lighter heart. Hermione was alive, no longer filled with the magic of a witch, but still magical in her own way. He had managed to keep his surely expression and grumpy attitude all the rest of the evening so no one was the wiser in the fact that he had found her. 

He knew of a nice little restaurant in London that would be perfect for his dinner with Hermione. He didn't want to call it a date since she probably didn't see it as such. He had made reservations for two at seven thirty. Now all he needed to do was keep anyone from finding out that he was going to be having dinner with Hermione Granger. So that meant, he would have to purchase the flowers in London after he left Hogwarts. He was just thankful that it was the Christmas holidays and he was thus left alone for the most part. Very few of the students had stayed this year, though Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy and the two Weasleys had but they tended to keep to themselves now and Dumbledore had been pleasantly distant. The Headmaster seemed to realize that Severus wished to be alone for a while and so he had left Severus alone. Though, Severus did wonder if the Headmaster was just finding a different way to look after Severus. Perhaps Dumbledore was actually spying on Severus and only seemed to be keeping his distance. Severus sincerely hoped Dumbledore was paying more attention to the students and Hogwarts business than to the lives of his professors. 

Severus spent the day preparing medical potions for Madam Pomfry. It was a known fact that once the second term began the students began to fall ill or hurt them selves with reckless behavior. Spring fever was not something that was taken lightly at Hogwarts. By the time it was four in the afternoon, Severus decided it was time to get ready. Putting all the vials of potions in a box he made sure it was tightly sealed before calling for a house elf to take it to the Infirmary. Then he headed for his chambers to shower and change. 

He spent a fair amount of time making sure his hair was clean. He had finally found a conditioner that kept his hair from looking so greasy, even after washing it in cold water. The piping down in the dungeons was not the best and thus they sporadically went from hot to cold to lukewarm at best. Severus had taken several cold showers in his time as a student and a professor at Hogwarts. He had complained several times about it to Dumbledore but the Headmaster just shook his head and said that it was not possible for him to do. The pipes were too far below the ground that heating them took too much energy and magic. More than once Severus had had to heat up several buckets of water and take a bath. He did not appreciate that since he always had to fold his long gangly body into a small tub and Transfiguration was not his specialty and he refused to ask Minerva or Dumbledore to transfigure a better tub for him. So, Severus suffered in silence now since it was obvious he wasn't going to be getting a hot shower every day for the rest of his life at Hogwarts. He felt a touch of pity for his Slytherins since they had to deal with the bad plumbing as well, though if he recalled correctly, Draco had been able to transfigure large tubs. 

However, that was not the point anymore. Luck, happened to be on his side that day and his shower was nice and hot and lasted the entire time he was in it. Once he was clean, he stepped out and wrapped a large fluffy black towel around his slender waist. He stepped up to the mirror and examined his jaw. Yes, shaving would be a good thing. He lathered up and picked up the razor. He preferred to shave the Muggle way since he could never get the skin to feel as smooth using magic. Soon he had a cleanly shaven jaw and after patting some after shave on he gave a small smile to his reflection. Quickly putting on some deodorant, he then stepped back and padded barefoot into the bedroom. He opened his wardrobe and pulled out the second set of muggle clothing he had. It was a pair of black slacks, a charcoal grey button down dress shirt and a black suit jacket. He pulled on a cotton T-shirt before putting the dress shirt on and buttoned it up to the top. He pulled out a green and dark grey neck tie and put it on making sure it was tacked down with a Slytherin emblem tie pin. Once he had a black belt looped around his waist and his black dress shoe on he went back into the bathroom. 

He used a drying charm on his damp hair and then ran his hands through it several times pulling it back from his face. He frowned as the slightly long bangs fell repeatedly into his eyes but he didn't feel like tying his hair back. Well, he decided, he might as well bring an elastic band just in case. He sometimes wondered why he kept his hair long but then decided it was because it was easier to watch people from behind the curtain it made. It also seemed to help accentuate his sharp cheekbones, though it did tend to bring attention to his rather hawkish nose. Putting on some cologne he stepped back and looked at the finished product. 

"Not bad," he muttered smoothing his shirt down. Satisfied with how he looked, Severus exited the bathroom and picked up his wand and slipped it up his sleeve. He then put a liberal amount of Muggle money into his wallet and put the wallet in his back pocket. Casting a quick glance around his rooms he nodded in satisfaction, grabbed his over coat, scarf and gloves and left making sure to ward the rooms as he did. 

He managed to slip out of Hogwarts without being seen, which he was grateful for. He did not want to have to explain why was dressed to go out as if on a date. Especially since it wasn't really a date or so he kept telling himself in order to keep from thinking it was. Once he was out of the bounds of Hogwarts he Apparated to an Apparation point in London. Then he made his way out of the alley and started in the direction of Hermione's flat. He stopped briefly to purchase a dozen roses, six white and six red accented with baby's breath. Now armed with flowers Severus hurried to Hermione's flat. 

At precisely seven, Severus took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A few moments later the door opened and Severus felt his breath still in his throat. He vaguely noted that Hermione's breath seemed to hitch too but he was too distracted by how beautiful she looked. 

She was wearing a pair of black dress pants that emphasized her long legs. She wasn't a very tall woman, barely 5'3'' but she did have legs that went to her neck. She also wore a tight black sweater that came off the shoulders but folded over to form a sweet heart neckline that emphasized the curve of her breasts. She had her hair up in a tight French twist with a couple of curls left free to hang by her face. A sprig of holly was placed in her hair as well and around her neck was a beautiful snowflake shaped diamond necklace with a white gold setting. She had a little bit of makeup on to accent her eyes and lips and a pair of black high heeled closed toe shoes that fastened with a strap around her ankle finished the ensemble. 

"You look very nice, Miss Granger," he said softly. She blushed and looked away with a shy smile. 

"Thank you Professor, so it's not too dressy? You look quite nice yourself. Um, won't you come in?" she stepped back and motioned for him to enter. 

"Thank you and no, it's just right. Uh, these are for you," he handed her the roses which she took with a bright smile. "I hope you are not allergic to them." 

"If I was then that's nothing a little Sudafed allergy medicine won't cure. So, be thankful I'm not allergic," she grinned, smelling them deeply. "Let me just put these in a vase. Do you want something to drink?" 

"No, thank you but we have reservations for seven-thirty and we'll be walking there," Severus answered. 

"Well, then just let me get my coat and purse and then we can go," Hermione said smiling at him returning with the roses now in a vase. She placed them on the coffee table and then grabbed her purse out of her room. Severus took her coat off of the coat rack and when she returned into the living room he held it out for her. She smiled at him and let him slip in on her. 

They left the flat and took the lift down to the ground floor. Then Severus offered her his arm and escorted her out of the building. They walked in comfortable silence for a few blocks before Hermione broke it. 

"Where are we going?" 

It took Severus a moment to comprehend what she said. He had been too busy sneaking glances at her as they walked. "It's just a little restaurant called the '_Petite Reynard_.' It's not really fancy but it's not a casual place." 

"Oh, I've heard of that place. I was going to go with one of my friends for her 21st birthday but her boyfriend showed up unexpectedly and they went out together." 

"I've only been there a couple of times and that was with Professor Dumbledore when we had to visit the Ministry." 

They arrived at the restaurant a couple minutes before seven thirty. The Maitre d' greeted them at the podium. 

"_Bon soir Monsieur et Madame_. How may I help you?" 

"I have a reservation for two at seven thirty under Snape," Severus said. 

"Ah, but of course, Monsieur, if you will follow me?" the Maitre d' bowed after checking his list to confirm Severus' reservation. 

Severus and Hermione followed him to the back of the restaurant where several little curtained alcoves were placed all along the back wall. Severus helped Hermione sit down before sitting down in the seat across from her. 

"Would you like to something to drink? Some wine, perhaps?" a nearby waiter asked as soon as the Maitre d' motioned for him to come. 

Severus looked at Hermione to see if she wanted anything. Hermione looked back at him and shrugged. 

"I'm not much of a drinker, but if you'd like some I'd be willing to try it," she said. 

"We'll have a bottle of your best Chardonnay," Severus said. 

"And some water, please," Hermione spoke up, then blushed quite becomingly as the two men looked at her. 

"Right away, _Monsieur et Madame_," the waiter bowed and hurried off. 

They sat looking over the menu for a few moments before the waiter returned with the Chardonnay and water. He quickly filled their glasses with the Chardonnay and left the bottle. 

"What did you have the last time you were here?" Hermione asked. 

"I've had the Roast Duck and the Venison stew," Severus answered glancing at the soups. 

"Was the duck any good?" 

"I enjoyed it," he glanced up just in time to see her eyes dart to the side of the page. She was obviously looking at the prices and judging by the look on her face she was determined to pay for her own meal. "Since I asked you to join me Miss Granger I expect to pay for the meal. Do not trouble yourself with any part of the bill." 

"Oh, but…" 

"No buts, Miss Granger." His tone was final. "And if you want to try the duck then try it." 

"I thought you said you didn't want to spend a fortune on me," her grin was teasing and Severus liked the sparkle in her eyes. 

"I did and as you can see, this is not one of the more expensive restaurants. In a classier one, that duck would probably cost twice as much and be half the portion." 

Hermione's laughter draped over him like a warm cloak. He found himself giving a small grin in return. The waiter returned a few minutes later and they gave their orders. Hermione went with the Roasted Duck with potatoes while Severus ordered Lamb with roasted garlic. 

"Now, tell me, why exactly do you wish for me to return to Hogwarts? I know I said the discussion was final but I want to hear your argument." Hermione grinned, sipping her Chardonnay carefully. 

"You are a very intelligent young woman, Miss Granger. It just seems a waste to not return to put your talents to good use. You are the most intelligent witch of your time. The Wizarding world needs more people like you." 

"Professor Snape, I have probably been told that I was the most intelligent witch of my time as many times as Harry has been told he's the splitting image of his father except for his eyes which are his mother's. However, I just can not return. I know you said you could probably find a way to retrieve my magic but if that was something that could be done then surly Squibs could be given magic too. No, I will be staying here, living a Muggle life." 

"But you can not just waste your talent like this!" 

"Waste my talent? I read books and practiced the spells over and over again! I had as much talent as any of the other students! I just memorized the spells better than the others. Harry rarely put any effort into his work and yet he defeated Lord Voldemort! He had talent! I had book learning, a mind full of obscure facts!" 

"And it was those 'obscure facts,' as you call them that allowed Potter to even come close to defeating the Dark Lord! Without you, he would never have gotten past the first puzzle that guarded the Philosopher's Stone in his first year. Potter may have had power but he didn't know how to control it very well without you helping him along. You had book smarts, yes, but you also had more magical talent at age twelve than I ever had at age fifteen. I never would have been able to brew a successful Polyjuice potion at age twelve! Hell, I barely made a passing attempt when I did learn it. Yes, you heard me correctly, however, that was only because I was too busy trying to keep Potter and Black from destroying it to begin with. I let my hatred for them get the best of me but you, you can control yourself in a way I never could. That takes strength, Miss Granger, and power. I refuse to let you throw all of that away." 

"You don't get it do you? I'm not throwing my powers away. I used them the best way I could. I gave them to Harry so that he could defeat Lord Voldemort. I gave up my magic so that others wouldn't have to in death. I'm still alive, Professor and all I lost was my magic. You can't tell me you wouldn't have given Professor Dumbledore your magic if he had needed it?" 

"I would have died for…" Severus started but she interrupted him. 

"Yes, you would have died for Dumbledore. You would have given up both your life and your magic because once you die there's no magic left. Maybe I was selfish in the fact that I only sacrificed my magic instead of giving my life as well but we had had so many deaths already on our side, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up another one. We were fighting to save the Wizarding world from destruction. There will be others to take my place, a lot of others." 

Severus shook his head in denial. "You can not truly believe that? The Wizarding world needs you Miss Granger!" 

"No Professor, they don't. Lord Voldemort is dead and this time for good. I'm Muggle-born, who's to say I wouldn't have returned here to the Muggle world after graduating from Hogwarts?" 

"Damn it, did the time we spent together mean nothing to you!" Severus finally couldn't hold the thought back. She looked at him for a long silent moment. 

"We were forced to work together Professor. Tempers ran high; no one's higher than yours, especially around me and Harry. I don't know how many times you shouted at me about being a 'silly little girl' who was a 'poor excuse for a witch.' If I had listened to you on all of those occasions and taken what you kept saying to heart then what we were fighting for in the long run was not for the equality of Muggle-borns and half-bloods with pure-bloods. But do you want to know why I never let your comments get to me, why I never retaliated? Because I knew you didn't really mean them. 

"I saw something in my sixth year that told me you really were on our side and if I had any doubts then that event disproved them. I found you standing in the trophy room just staring at one of the awards. It was Tom Riddle's. You just kept staring at it and then you jerked and shoved your left sleeve up and gripped your Dark Mark as if in pain but it wasn't physical pain, it was emotional. I could see part of your face to determine that. You began talking to yourself, 'You will not win! I will not let you win!' I don't know if you were actually talking to the Dark Lord or to yourself because the next moment I saw you pull out your wand and hold it to your throat and you had gotten the first part of the killing curse out of your mouth before you suddenly flung your wand away and sank to your knees and covered your face with your hands. I don't think you were crying but you were definitely shaking. 

"Then, as though someone had placed a warm comforting blanket over you, you stopped shaking, lowered your hands, straightened your back and rose to your feet. You retrieved your wand and started to turn to leave, your head held high, but something stopped you. You were looking at two small awards. One belonged to you, Severus Remington Snape. The other belonged to me, Hermione Jane Granger. They were the Awards of Academic Excellence given to those who passed all of their O.W.L.s with perfect scores. You just stared at them for a long time before speaking again. 'I will not allow him to win, Hermione, so that you and others like you can achieve the recognition you deserve.' Then, you left. I barely made it out of the way before you left the room but I'll never forget what I saw that night. That night I saw a side of you that I knew very few people had ever seen and yet it told me so much; you were on our side and anything you said about my being a poor excuse for a witch was all a lie because I knew you didn't truly believe it." She had spoken as if in a trance for most of her story but at the end she had focused her eyes on his and had reached across the table to grip his hand. 

He turned his hand over and gripped hers tightly, as though afraid she would disappear if he let go. "Why didn't you even try to stop me when you saw what I was attempting to do?" he breathed. 

"I knew it wasn't my place to intervene. If you had truly felt you had to die then that was your choice but in the end you obviously realized you were needed and that you couldn't just throw your life away. You cared too much for your students; you couldn't just abandon them to the Dark Lord's clutches. You would fight along side them and die in battle. I'm glad you made the right decision, Professor." She smiled warmly at him and gripped his hand tighter. 

Severus swallowed hard and looked down at their clasped hands. He wanted to tell her that it was the thought of her that had pushed him to rethink committing suicide that night. They had been working so hard at trying to keep the Death Eaters from gaining too much ground and Severus and Hermione had found themselves working side by side on numerous potions projects. Of course, there were other students working with them since two people could not make so many different potions all at once alone. But Severus had always been keenly aware of Hermione's presence that he had found himself working more often than not at a work bench next to hers. By the time of the incident in the Trophy Room, he had already developed feelings for her; not love per se but definitely some affection. 

"Can you see, now, why I can not return to the magical world? Just as you couldn't go through killing yourself without giving something better back, I can not let my sacrifice have been in vain. I gave what I could and now, I must live with that loss. I can never reclaim it. And so, I will live the rest of my life as a Muggle and I will be happy. I know I will." 

"But won't you be lonely?" Severus asked softly 

"Yes, I'm sure I will be but there's nothing stopping you and the others from visiting," she smiled softly at him, letting him know she had gotten his meaning. "I would love to have an intelligent conversation at some point in my life." 

Severus felt his hope raise and he returned her smile. He gave her hand one more squeeze before reluctantly releasing it. The food had arrived.

* * *

"I had a wonderful time, Professor. Would you, um, like to come in for some coffee?" 

"Severus." 

"Pardon?" 

"My name is Severus. I think after what we talked about earlier at dinner we are past the stage of such politeness," Severus said with a small awkward smile. 

"Yes, I think you're right, Severus. It just seems so awkward to be calling you that. I've always known you as Professor Snape. I feel like I'm going to be admonished for being disrespectful." Hermione blushed and fiddled with her purse. 

"You are no longer my student, Miss Granger and thus…" 

"Hermione." 

"Yes, Hermoine. I suppose it should work both ways, shouldn't it?" 

"Yes." 

"Well, um, are you still offering that coffee?" Severus felt like kicking him self. That sounded so ridiculous and almost rude. 

"Oh, of course. Come on in and I'll get it started. Maybe, you could, um, start a fire?" 

"I'm beginning to think that's all you really care about. You just invite me in so that I'll get a fire going for you," Severus laughed as he entered the flat. 

"Oh, no, that's not it at all! I…" Hermione flushed and tried to defend herself but Severus held up his hand and told her he was only joking. 

A few minutes later they were sitting comfortably on the couch in front of a roaring fire with two mugs of hot chocolate in their hands. Hermione had been out of coffee but had had plenty of hot chocolate. Severus had said that was fine. 

"Severus?" 

"Hmm?" He felt so relaxed. 

"What are you doing for the holidays?" 

"Most likely stay at Hogwarts. The Heads of Houses usually do as I'm sure you noticed. Or were you too busy roaming around with Potter and Weasley under that Invisibility Cloak causing trouble to notice?" Severus couldn't resist teasing her. 

"Hey, if I could notice that Remus was a werewolf then I could most definitely notice that only the Heads of Houses and the Headmaster stayed at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays. Though, after third year I noticed that Professor Trelawney stayed too. But that's only because she claims she had no where else to go." Hermione huffed. 

"Indeed. So tell me, why do you ask?" Severus eyed her out of the corner of his eye while he sipped his hot chocolate. 

"Oh, um, well I thought, that is if you weren't, you know, doing anything, that, um, maybe you'd, uh, like to stay, or visit if you prefer, with me." 

Severus had watched as she had gotten more and more red and more and more flustered as she spoke but at the same time he had become more and more hopeful. 

"Well, I won't say no to visiting you but staying here would not be appropriate. You are a single, unchaperoned young woman and I am a single man who is not related to you." 

"Oh, cork it Severus, you sound like some nineteenth century gentleman! We're a century later; unmarried people of the opposite sex do live together. I'm inviting you as a guest, not as some lover! I do have a spare bedroom and it would only be for a couple of days. We got along really well during the war, Severus. We even had to sleep in close quarters on several occasions." 

"Why do you want me, of all people, to stay? Surely you would rather have Potter or Weasley stay?" Severus knew what he was doing was wrong. He was pushing her away! He was being offered the perfect opportunity to get to know her better and let her get to know him better too and he was blowing it. 

"I…um, you're right, Severus. I'm making it sound like I'm desperate for company or something. I guess I must be lonelier than I thought. I saw you, saw you as a link to my magical past and just latched on. I don't know if I would have done the same if it was someone else I'd known from the magical world or not. I'm sorry. But I would really like for you to visit." Hermione put a hand on his arm, her eyes pleading with him. 

"Hermione, I think visiting you would be best for now. It's been nearly half a year since you disappeared. I've believed you to be dead all that time, as has everyone else. If I stayed as a guest then that might be too much to take in at one time. Always do things slowly unless you absolutely have to do them quickly. And so, on that note, I had best return to Hogwarts before Professor Dumbledore sends out a search party looking for me. He doesn't know I'm gone and he has been leaving me to my own devices these past few months but I think he's starting to get restless and I'm sure I'll be seeing much more of him again. Far more that I wish to be seeing. But I will visit. Perhaps on Saturday? I could bring some articles and text books and we might discuss them?" 

Hermione smiled happily at him and nodded. "Yes, I'd like that very much. But you have to promise to spend Christmas with me." 

"I will inform the Headmaster that I will be busy on Christmas." 

Severus rose and Hermione walked him to the door. He put his coat and scarf on and held his gloves in his hand. They stood staring at each other for a moment before Hermione rose on her tiptoes and kissed him softly on the cheek. Both went red, though Hermione more than him. 

"I will see you in a couple of days," Severus said softly. 

"I'll be here all day on Saturday, so stop by anytime," Hermione answered. 

"Until then, good night Hermione." 

"Good night Severus." 

Severus stepped out of the flat and headed for the lift. As soon as he was at an Apparation site he Apparated to the Forbidden Forest and returned to Hogwarts. Yes, he decided, he would start things slow and work upwards with his relationship with Hermione. 


	3. Part Three

DISCLAIMER: I only own Art Pintura and _Portraits of Magic_, the rest belong to J.K. Rowling. 

The Best Sacrifice   
**PART THREE**

Saturday came and went and so did the next couple of days. Severus saw Hermione two more times after that Saturday. Then, Albus insisted that all the Heads of House make a final trip to Hogsmeade in order to purchase some final gifts. Severus put up a charade that he would rather deal with a classroom full of Longbottoms than go to Hogsmeade with a group of nauseating professors. However, he did wish to go, for the first time since his third year as a student. He wished to get Hermione a Christmas present but he didn't know what to get her. Hopefully he would find something in Hogsmeade. 

The walk to Hogsmeade was filled with happy laughter and talk amongst Albus and the other Heads but Severus was silent as usual. Dumbledore tried several times to get Severus to join in the conversations but he refused to give more than monosyllabic answers. When they reached the village everyone split up to do their shopping. 

"We'll meet at _The Three Broomsticks_ in two hours, shall we?" Albus asked, his blue eyes twinkling. 

The professors all agreed and left. Severus wandered aimlessly up and down the streets. He paused outside of _Florish and Blotts_ and thought about a book but quickly decided against it. _Florish and Blotts_ was an excellent place to purchase text books of all kinds and while he was sure Hermione would love to have a new text book, it seemed rather impersonal. So he moved on. He passed several little shops but nothing seemed to scream 'this is where you'll find her gift.' Sighing, Severus turned to head back to _Florish and Blotts_ when a small shop off at the end of the street caught his eye. He immediately brightened. 

_Portraits of Magic_ was the only art supplies shop in Hogsmeade. Severus purchased all of his art supplies there. Winding his way through the crowd he stepped inside. The smell of paints, turpentine and canvas filled the air, and while it wasn't as pleasant smelling as the Apothecary, it still felt comforting to him. 

"Ah, Professor Snape, out of charcoals again?" the shopkeeper Señor Pintura asked coming from the back of the shop. Art Pintura was from Spain and thus had a light Spanish accent. 

"Not today, Art. I'm actually looking for some paints, oil preferably, and a high quality canvas and sable brushes, round tip," Severus said stepping forward. 

"Ah, branching out? _Muy bien_, _muy bien_. Now, let's have a look at what we have." Art Pintura wandered up and down the isles of the store pulling down the items he was looking for. "Here we have some _excelente_ camel hair brushes and this is a set of our _mejor_ oil paints. Will these satisfy you?" 

Severus looked at the items with a critical eye before nodded in satisfaction. Señor Pintura smiled and headed off to get the canvas. He returned with a 14X20 canvas as well as a beautiful ebony frame. 

"I thought you might like a frame to go with this," Señor Pintura said with a smile. 

"Yes, thank you," Severus said softly. He waited for Señor Pintura to ring up his purchases before having them sent to his chambers. He left with the receipt in his hand before shoving it into his pocket. 

He made his way to _The Three Broomsticks_ and waited inside for the others to show up. He didn't have to wait long. Albus, Minerva, Filius, and Pamona arrived in a flurry of cold wind and laughter. Severus sneered at their happiness and waited impatiently for them to reach the table he was seated at. 

"Ah, Severus, I don't see any packages. Were you not successful?" Albus asked sitting down next to the surly Potions Master. 

"I was. I had them sent back to Hogwarts." 

"Ah, excellent suggestion. I wish I had thought of that." Albus smiled at Minerva. "Is any one against having something to drink and maybe something to eat while we're here?" 

"I'm all for it, Albus," Minerva said. Filius and Pamona agreed. Severus sneered further. 

"I would rather not," he said glaring at the Headmaster. 

"No one is forcing you to stay, Severus," Minerva shot back with her trademark glare. 

"Then I shall be going," Severus rose and with a nod at the rest of the professors he left.

* * *

When he returned to his quiet chambers he stripped off his cloak and quickly got a fire started. He retrieved the art supplies and set up an easel. He didn't usually paint but on the few occasions he had, he usually did watercolors and they tended to come out pretty well, if he did say so himself. Placing his canvas on the easel he set the easel up in the corner of his bedroom. The lighting was best in his bedroom. Making sure everything was set up to his liking, he walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out the Muggle clothes he tended to wear when he did something messy: a pair of grey sweat pants and a, now paint splattered, white cotton T-shirt. Pulling his hair back he settled himself down to begin working. 

He took a pencil and began to sketch out the painting. Hermione sat on a large boulder wearing a beautiful deep emerald green velvet gown with a long black cloak. The wind was blowing and her long brown curls blew out behind her. A soft wistful expression covered her face while she gazed softly down at a beautiful young unicorn. The moonlight gave a silvery glow to everything. He worked for several hours before a knock at his door alerted him that it was probably dinner time. 

"What has kept you so occupied, Severus that you missed dinner?" Albus asked when Severus opened the door. He had thrown on an old set of robes to hide his paint covered ones and had used a cleaning charm on his skin to get rid of the paint. 

"I have been reading and lost track of the time," Severus answered, his expression bored. 

"Ah, I should have known. Well, should I have the elves send you something?" 

"That would be fine, Headmaster." 

Albus smiled and left. Severus sighed and waited for the elves to send up the food. He quickly ate it and then hurried back to his painting. Christmas was in two days and he wished to give the painting to her then. He worked well into the night and into the morning. It wasn't until he heard his clock chime eight did he realize he had worked all night. He sank back into one of his high wingback chairs with a sigh. He needed to bathe, sleep and eat something, though not necessarily in that order. 

He sent a message to the house elves to send up some breakfast while he took a shower. Once he was clean he exited the bathroom and ate the breakfast laid out for him. He ate slowly and when he jerked awake for the third time he decided it would be best to get some sleep. 

He awoke around three in the afternoon feeling much better. He rose and took another shower and dressed in his usual black robes. He glanced at the finished painting. He had added some holly to her hair giving it a more Christmas-y feeling. He would put it in the frame and wrap in tomorrow before he went to see Hermione. Deciding it was time to at least make an appearance outside of his rooms he left and warded them. He sat down at the only table left in the Great Hall and enjoyed a cup of tea and some cakes. Albus and a Filius were already there talking. 

"Severus, my boy, I see you've come out of hiding," Albus laughed. 

"I thought it best to come out on my own rather than have you come down and fetch me." 

"You're learning." Albus winked and sipped his tea. Severus just rolled his eyes and bit into a cake. "So tell me, Severus doing anything special this year?" 

"As a matter of fact I am. I will be visiting my ancestral home tomorrow for my annual check. I'm afraid I haven't been to it since before the war and I dare say it will be in dire need of some renovation work." 

"Ah, yes, I recall it's a splendid piece of architecture. Very gothic in design, correct?" Albus asked sipping his tea. 

"Yes." Severus felt only a brief flash of guilt at the lie but then it disappeared and he was left to contemplate what Hermione's reaction would be should he ever show her _Raven's Ravine_. 

_Raven's Ravine_ was a beautiful gothic castle that he had inherited from his grandfather. Severus' father had died before it could even belong to him and so the castle had gone to Severus. Ransford Snape was a large gruff looking man with a loud boisterous voice and an even louder laugh. He had been the father Severus had needed when his own had been too drunk to know he even had a son. Of course, the last Severus had heard about his grandfather, he was off somewhere in the Highlands with Severus' grandmother, Mabel, raising sheep on a large farm. Severus had a feeling that Ransford would like Hermione. 

After finishing his tea, Severus rose and bid Albus and Filius a good afternoon and returned to his rooms. There was still a pile of 2nd year essays and 5th year potions to grade. With a sigh he sat down at his desk and began grading.

* * *

Standing in front of his mirror, Severus checked to make sure his jumper was lint free and that there weren't any unsightly stains on his black trousers. The dark green sweater was a Christmas gift from his grandmother, made from the wool of the sheep he was raising. Severus' grandmother had knitted it and dyed it. He walked over to his bed where the painting was wrapped up in dark green paper and tied with a gold ribbon. He refused to wrap it completely in Gryffindor colors but he didn't think she would appreciate it if he wrapped it completely in Slytherin colors either. 

He was just getting his coat and scarf out of his wardrobe when a knock sounded at his door. Growling under his breath he strode out of the bedroom and into the main room and over to the door. He flung it open and glared down at the young man in front of him. 

"Professor Snape, are…are you going somewhere?" Draco Malfoy asked upon seeing Severus wearing Muggle clothing. 

"Very good Mr. Malfoy. Is there something else you wanted or were you just curious as to whether or not I was going somewhere?" He sneered. 

"Oh, actually, mother sent you these. I'm afraid they came a little late," Draco held out a round festive tin that obviously contained some sort of food, cookies no doubt. 

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy. You may send my thanks to your mother, but right now I am running late and must be going." 

"Don't stay out too late, Professor," Draco grinned suggestively as he turned to head back down the hall where Severus could see Ginny Weasley waiting. 

"If it wasn't the break, I'd deduct points for disrespect to a professor, Mr. Malfoy," Severus called out. Draco just laughed and waved. 

Severus growled and shut the door. He put the tin on his table and hurried back into the bedroom to finish dressing. Once he deemed himself ready, he picked up the painting, shrunk it to the size of a postcard and put it carefully in his pocket. Then, he left his rooms, warded them and hurried out of the castle to make his way to the Apparation point just outside the Forbidden Forest. 

Fifteen minutes later found him standing outside Hermione's door. A Christmas wreath hung on it. It hadn't been there when Severus had visited last. Quickly checking to see if there was anyone around, he took out his gift and returned it to its original size. Then taking a deep breath he knocked on the door. 

There was a brief shuffling sound on the other side before it was opened by Hermione. Her cheeks were flushed, obviously from being in a warm kitchen, and her hair was even wilder than usual. A bright grin lit up her face when she saw him. 

"Severus, come in, you must meet my parents!" She reached out grabbed his hand and pulled him into the flat. 

Severus barely had time to get his coat off and set his gift aside before she had dragged him into the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked ready to go to a fancy party and Severus briefly wondered if he was supposed to be dressed more formally. 

"Mum, Dad, this is Professor Severus Snape. He was my Potions Professor at Hogwarts." 

Severus suddenly found himself being given a rather scathing look from Hermione's parents. Mr. Granger was glaring at Severus as though Severus had just said he was planning on taking Hermione and keeping her locked up and use her as some sort of whore. For some reason, Severus felt really intimidated by that look. Maybe it was because this was the father of the woman he loved and hoped to have a relationship with. 

"Matt, we can't leave now! We can't leave her here alone with _him_!" Mrs. Granger hissed to her husband. She obviously thought she was being quiet but both Severus and Hermione heard her. Hermione's face went red and this time it wasn't from the heat in the kitchen. She glared at her mother and out of the corner of his eye Severus saw her making tight fists. 

"Mum, you said you and dad had to go to your company Christmas party. They're expecting you there. I only wanted you to stay long enough to meet Professor Snape. I'm perfectly safe with him. He fought in the war with me, for goodness sake! We lived in the same castle together!" Hermione had gradually gotten louder and Severus wondered if this wasn't the first time she had had this conversation with her parents. 

"Hermione, I thought we already discussed this? I thought we agreed you would have nothing to do with the magical world now that you are no longer a witch!" Mrs. Granger snapped. 

"You agreed, I didn't! I can not just forget seven years of my life! I fought in a war and I could have lost my life but I don't regret any of it! Now, I think it would be best if you left for your party," Hermione glared at her parents and stepped closer to Severus. Severus had a feeling this was a declaration on Hermione's part that she was choosing him, the magical world, over her parents, the Muggle world. 

"Very well, Hermione, we'll go. You know where to find us when you come to your senses and get over this foolishness," Mr. Granger said stiffly, giving Severus a harsh, cold look as he finished speaking. "Come, Helen, let's go." 

Hermione followed her parents, her body stiff with her anger and as soon as her parents left she locked the door and leaned against it with a sigh. 

"Perhaps I shouldn't have come," Severus said softly. 

"No, they were going to leave any way. I only asked them to stay a little longer to meet you but that was obviously a big mistake. I should have known they would react like that. They were fine with my being a witch, they even thought it was neat, up until the end of my fifth year when I accidentally let it slip that a war was inevitable in the magical world. They tried to keep me from going back but I managed to convince them that I would be alright. I, um, I actually lied to them saying that students wouldn't be fighting since we were too young," she grinned sheepishly at that last confession. 

"Hermione, take it from me, being separated from your parents like this is not a good thing. It always ends badly," Severus said seriously. 

Hermione sighed and looked away. "It doesn't matter. I've gotten used to it. I think as long as I have friends, I'll be okay. Besides, my grandparents love me either way. They thought the war would be a good experience for me. Not that they wanted me to die or anything but they grew up during World War Two and the Vietnam War. They think being exposed to something like a war is a good way to learn about the world." 

"So I take it you're close to your grandparents?" 

"Very close. They're actually on a cruise in the Caribbean right now. I could have gone with them but I ran into you and told them I had changed my mind. They understood and took my cousin instead. I think that was the best choice on both of our parts," she grinned at him. 

"I'm afraid I am going to have to agree with you," Severus said softly, giving a small smile in return. 

"Are you hungry? Or did you already eat before you came?" 

"No, I have not eaten yet. I apologize for assuming you would be providing dinner," Severus shifted uneasily. 

"Nonsense, I told you to come at seven because I would be cooking dinner. I thought we could eat it here in the living room while watching a Christmas movie. Um, not to be rude but have you ever seen a Christmas movie?" 

"I can honestly say I have not," Severus answered, his gaze shifting over to the armoire that held the television in the far right corner of the room. 

"Good, then it will be a learning experience for you," Hermione grinned. "Why don't you come into the kitchen with me and we can dish up some food?" 

Severus followed Hermione and he noticed the doorway across from the one he entered through. He remembered Hermione had told him that she had another bedroom in her flat and that door obviously led to it. He had only been in her flat one other time since that first dinner and he hadn't been given a tour. The other times he had visited her they did something outside. Severus wondered if she would be against the idea of going ice skating again so soon after their last attempt at it. They had had fun, and she had even said he had a wonderful laugh when he had found the urge to do so after they had crashed for the fifth time. He still had the bruises on his knees from that day. 

She handed him a plate and he began filling it with the food laid out on the table. There was a small turkey, a large bowl of mashed potatoes, a basket of rolls, a bowl of peas, a small dish of green bean casserole and several other dishes. Severus gave Hermione a suspicious look. 

"Planning on fattening me up, Miss Granger?" 

"I would never, Professor!" Her appalled look was comical but Severus just grinned. 

"Well, you seem to have enough food here to serve an army. I have every right to be worried about my waist line." 

Hermione snorted at that. "Right, as if you ever put on weight. I saw your Hogwarts pictures; you were as skinny as you are now." 

"Curious about my looks, Miss Granger?" 

"Maybe," her grin was teasing and Severus felt his breath hitch at the sight of it. 

Severus wondered when they had grown so comfortable with each other. He had only just discovered she was alive over a week ago and yet they were acting as though they had been the best of friends. He knew they had gotten close during the war, they had had to. But it had been nearly half a year since the war was won and they should not have fallen back into the camaraderie that they had had during it. However, he was not going to complain. She obviously wasn't upset by it. 

Once they had filled their plates they returned to the living room. Hermione went over to the armoire and opened it to reveal the large television inside. Kneeling down she opened the smaller cabinet and searched through the videos. Severus, feeling he should make himself useful went over to the fireplace and stirred up the fire. Brushing off his hands he turned to look at Hermione as she stood up. 

"I have _A Christmas Carol_ starring Patrick Stewart, a wonderful British actor and I have several American stop-motion shorts. These are the ones that I always watch. They're tradition for me," she smiled holding up the videos. 

"What are stop-motion shorts?" 

"They're kind of like cartoons but at the same time they're not. See, they take little figures or puppets and move them a little bit, take a picture, move them a little bit again, take another picture and repeat the processes numerous times. When they play all the pictures together, the figures move. Their a bit jerky in their movements since these were made in the sixties but they're classics in America. I think they're cute in a nostalgic way." 

Severus looked at the videos. She had _Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer_, _The Little Drummer Boy_, _Jack Frost_, _Frosty's Winter Wonderland_ and _Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town_. He had to admit he was rather curious about this stop-motion thing. He handed Hermione the videos back and gave a nod of approval. She grinned back and hurried over to the television again. A few minutes later they were seated comfortably side by side on the couch watching Rudolph. 

He had to agree with her, the animation, if that was what it could be called, was rather choppy but he was impressed with what the American Muggles had managed to do. He found himself grinning whenever Hermione would break out into song to sing along with the characters in the show. 

"I think you're a lot like Rudolph," Hermione said as if making a sudden revelation. 

"Excuse me?" 

"Well, no offense but you were always the outcast at Hogwarts, even when you were a Death Eater, you said so yourself once. Yet, like Rudolph you end up saving the day, so to speak. If it wasn't for the information you were feeding the Order then we wouldn't have known what to do on several occasions." 

"And does that mean I have a pretty girl fawning over me?" Severus had meant it as a joke but he knew deep inside he was holding his breath waiting for her answer. 

She looked up at him and appeared to search his face. She must have found what she was looking for this time for she smiled and blushed shyly and picked up his hand in order to lace her fingers through his. 

"I think there's a pretty good chance that you might," she said softly. 

Severus looked down into her eyes for a long time. He felt drawn to her and…was she getting closer? Their lips met softly once, twice and then pressed more firmly. Severus felt her grip his back tightly and he shivered at the touch. He pulled back to look down at her for a moment before pressing his lips back to hers. He gently ran his tongue across her bottom lip and she tentatively opened her mouth allowing him to deepen the kiss. He had never kissed someone like this or been kissed like this for that matter. He gripped her head gently and angled it for better access. 

When the need for air became necessary they gently broke apart. He rested his forehead against hers while they both attempted to regain their breath. 

"Oh, wow," Hermione breathed. 

"Indeed." 

"Please tell me you haven't been practicing that." 

"Why would I be practicing something like that?" 

"It was too perfect. Nothing like that could be spontaneous," she said, lifting her eyes to catch his. 

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you but that has never been practiced. You said yourself, I was the outcast for most of my life; there isn't a flock of women beating down my door begging for kisses or anything else for that matter." His tone had taken a disgusted sound. 

He looked up when Hermione gently cupped his face. She was looking at him the way he had always hoped she would. "I'll beat down your door, if you want me to." 

"You won't have to beat it down, Hermione. It will be wide open," he said, his throat tight with emotion. 

"And will you be in your rooms?" 

"With my arms wide open," he swallowed hard as she gave him a shaky smile. 

"Do you have to be in your rooms or could you be right here with them open?" 

Severus didn't bother to say anything. He didn't think he could get anything past the lump in his throat. Instead he opened his arms slowly. He was baring his soul now; he had let down all of his barriers and it was up to her walk through the gates and come to him. He didn't have to wait long, though it seemed to be quite a while, for her to fling herself into his arms and begin kissing his face. He gathered her close and attempted to capture her lips with his. He wasn't going to admit his feelings completely yet, it was too early in the relationship but he knew that when the time was right he would go all the way. 

They finished watching the other stop-motion movies, sneaking kisses in-between. When the last one was over Hermione turned to him with a smile. 

"I have something for you." 

Severus raised his eyebrows and watched her hurry over to her small Christmas tree. She pulled a rather large box out from under it and quickly returned with it. She plopped it down in his lap and sat down next to him again, her grin wide and her eyes filled with excitement. Severus glanced at her briefly before turning his attention to the box in his lap. 

It was wrapped in silver wrapping paper with what appeared to be poinsettias and holly on it. Ripping the paper off, he moved on to the box. Inside was a beautiful velvet cloak of a deep green so dark it was almost black. His initials had been stitched on the collar in silver. There was also a small slender pocket in the inner lining that was just the right size for his wand. He raised his eyes to hers and smiled softly. 

"This is very beautiful, Hermione. This must have been rather expensive," he said gently caressing the velvet with his long fingers. 

"It's Christmas Severus; there is never a price on a gift at Christmas. I'm afraid I couldn't think of anything to get you but when I saw that in a store near the Leaky Cauldron I knew that it was perfect for you. I remember your old one was rather tattered." She blushed and felt the velvet along with him. He captured her fingers and raised them to his lips. 

"Thank you. I actually have something for you as well," he rose and retrieved his gift to her from where he had left it on the side table near the door. 

Hermione smiled when he handed it to her and she waited just long enough for him to sit down before she began to open it. She gasped and stared in shock at the painting. 

"Oh, Severus," she breathed carefully brushing her fingers over the painting. It was done in Muggle style so it didn't move. "This is…I mean…It's so beautiful. Did you make this?" 

"Yes," Severus felt his cheeks burning slightly as he smiled shyly. 

"Is…you don't really see me like this do you?" she sounded so appalled at the idea that he had to laugh softly. 

"I do. Why do you think so many of my sketches were of you?" 

"You had more sketches of me?" Severus felt himself go white. She hadn't known? He thought she had found out when she found out about his talent. 

"I thought you knew, you have one of them on your mantel." 

"I knew you had done that one sketch and that you sketched as a hobby but I didn't know you had more of me. Why me?" She was staring at the painting but Severus knew she was watching him out of the corner of her eye. 

"There's something about you that just shouts to be captured artistically," he said softly. Her cheeks went pink and she raised her gaze to his. 

"That's quite an admission coming from you, Professor. I guess I never realized just how much you enjoyed my company during the war. But obviously if you found yourself compelled to look at me enough to feel the need to sketch and paint me then we must have spent more time together than I thought we had." 

"I do have sketches of other people and things, Miss Granger," he sniffed. 

"I should have hoped so other wise I'd think you were some sort of stalker," she grinned. 

"I don't stalk, Miss Granger, I spy." His grin was rather demonic as he reached out to pull her against him for a kiss.

* * *

A/N: There's one more part and then this story is done. I hope it leaves a warm feeling in all of your hearts by then. Celticreeder. 


	4. Part Four

DISCLAIMER: I own Ransford and Mable. The rest belong to J.K. Rowling. 

The Best Sacrifice   
**PART FOUR**

Severus found himself visiting Hermione as often as he could. He even got to meet her grandparents during the Easter Break. They seemed to take to him immediately and were not shy in telling him embarrassing stories about Hermione, especially when she was little and before she was accepted into Hogwarts. Of course, he had told his own grand parents about her and they had invited her to visit them which she had been rather excited about. They had told her embarrassing childhood stories about him which had caused her to grin evilly at him in retribution. 

Ransford had tried to give Hermione a new lamb but she had regretfully told him she wasn't allowed lambs in her flat. So, she had settled for naming the lamb Beatrice and Ransford had told her that anytime she wished to have Beatrice she would be waiting for her. Mabel had promised to make a sweater out of the wool from Beatrice when she was older and had more fleece. 

Severus had finally told Hermione's friends that she was alive. There had been some rather heated arguments and insults shot at him when they had learned that he had known she was alive for quite a while before telling them. Harry, Minerva and Ron had been really close to attacking Severus, even if it was verbally. Albus had had to step in and prevent them though Severus didn't think he would ever forget the disappointed look Albus had given him when he had informed the Headmaster that Hermione was alive. 

Now Severus found himself competing with Hermione's friends for her attention. Though, she did seem to always have time for him. So he wasn't going to complain too much. 

They had been seeing each other for several months now and Severus had been spending a lot of time in the Muggle world, learning more about the different aspects of the Muggle world. He had become rather fascinated with chemistry and had been working with Hermione on some of her projects for it. He was finding himself becoming more and more comfortable in the Muggle world, more so than in the magical world. And now he was thinking more about the future, especially one with Hermione in it.

* * *

"Grandfather, how far would you go for Grandmother?" 

Severus was having dinner with his grandparents on night before the school year was to end. He watched as Ransford Snape watching his wife lovingly as she left the room to see to the dinner preparations. 

"I would die for her. And if she asked me to, I would kill for her. Why, have you been thinking about Miss Granger?" 

"Yes. I love her but I haven't told her in words though I think she understands. I haven't wanted to verbally say anything until she does but I'm really thinking that I need to do something. I feel like we're at a stalemate in our relationship." 

"Severus, my boy, do what you have to do," Ransford said softly placing his hand on Severus' shoulder. 

Severus raised his head and looked up at his grandfather. Ransford was giving him an almost sad smile, as though he knew what Severus was thinking of doing. Severus rose slowly and after a moment's hesitation he pulled his grandfather into his arms and embraced him tightly. 

"Just promise me you'll let me know what you decided to do." 

"I will grandfather." 

Ransford gave Severus a firm fatherly pat on the back before pulling back and grinning at Severus. Severus returned the smile almost shyly. Mabel called them to dinner and the moment was lost though not forgotten by either men. Severus had made his decision when his grandfather had told him to do what he had to. And Severus knew that he had made the right decision. Later that night after leaving his letter to Albus explaining his reasons, he took the potion.

* * *

He stood outside her door, nervously fiddling with the bag in his hand. He took a deep breath and knocked. A few minutes later the door opened. 

"Severus! Wha…what are you doing here at," she looked at her watch, "ten in the morning. Don't you have a class to teach?" 

"I am no longer the Potions Master of Hogwarts. I no longer fit the requirements." 

"What! You had better come inside and explain." 

Severus entered the flat and set his bag down. He suddenly wondered if he had really done the right thing. He turned to look at Hermione and seeing her concerned yet confused look knew that he had. 

"I can no longer teach Potions at Hogwarts or any school for that matter." 

"But why? Did you do something outrageous that made them fire you?" 

"I wasn't fired; I resigned." 

"Why?" 

Severus searched her face for a long silent moment before speaking softly. "I no longer am a wizard." 

"What?" she breathed, her eyes widening to an impossible size. 

"I love you, Hermione. I can not stay in the Wizarding world while you're living here as a Muggle and I know you don't wish to return to the magical world so I'm coming to the Muggle world." 

"But why did you give up your magic! After all that arguing about my foolishly giving mine up! I'm not worth such a sacrifice!" her eyes filled with tears. 

"Oh, but you are, Hermione! You are worth so much more but I'm afraid all I had to give up was my magic. I've spent so much time here in the Muggle world that I know I won't have to adjust too much. I can find a job as a Muggle, perhaps as a Chemistry teacher. But I can not stay in the magical world without you and I could not ask you to return." He took her hands in his and held them tightly against his heart. 

"Oh Severus, no, you've sacrificed so much already, why your magic too? I could have lived happily in the magical world with you by my side!" the tears had escaped and were now trickling down her cheeks. 

Severus shook his head with a small smile. "I'm sure you would but you would not have been happy. You would have been surrounded by witches and wizards and would start to regret coming back. This is the best solution, my dear, you'll see." 

She stared up at him for a long time before finally giving a shaky smile. "You love me?" 

"I do; I have for a long time," he said softly cupping her cheek. 

"Oh Severus, I love you too." She reached up and pulled his head down to hers for a kiss. He happily obliged. 

"Marry me, Hermione," he whispered against her lips. 

"Yes, I think that will be the best sacrifice I will ever make." 

He slipped the ring on her finger and gathered her close for another kiss. Yes, this would be the best sacrifice. For in the end, they both gained something instead: love. 

**

The End

**

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it; it's done. I hope it was enjoyable and that you'll watch out for my next SS/HG story though that one won't be out for awhile since it's still in the writing processes and I never post stories that aren't finished. Also, I'd like to thank JTBJTB for alerting me to the fact that I had the 'do not accept anonymous reviewers' box checked. Now anyone can review! Anyway, thanks for reading, Celticreeder. 


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